Anger boils in my chest at her obvious lie. "Tori," I say, voice low and intense, "I know it was your father. We have security footage."
Her eyes widen in panic, and she tries to sit up, immediately crying out in pain from her injured shoulder.
"Easy," I say, gently helping her lie back down. "You're safe now. He can't hurt you anymore."
Tears spring to her eyes. "You don't understand," she whispers. "If you go after him, it'll destroy everything. The alliance?—”
"Fuck the alliance," I growl, surprising myself with the vehemence in my voice. "He nearly killed you, Tori. He choked you unconscious and left you on a bathroom floor like garbage."
"But the families?—”
"Will understand that no one touches my wife," I cut her off. "No one. Not even her own father."
Vittoria stares at me, something unreadable in her expression. "Why?" she asks softly. "Why does it matter so much to you?"
The question catches me off guard. A month ago, I would have said it was about respect, about maintaining the appearance of power. But looking at her now, broken and bruised because of her own father's cruelty, I realize the truth is more complicated.
"Because you're mine to protect now," I say finally. "And I failed you today."
Tears spill down her cheeks. "You didn't fail me, Cesare. You couldn't have known?—”
"I should have known," I interrupt. "The signs were there. I chose to ignore them."
I lean forward, gently cupping her uninjured cheek. "But it ends now, Tori. Your father will answer for what he's done."
"Please," she whispers. "Don't start a war over me. I'm not worth it."
Her words hit me like a physical blow. "Don't you ever fucking say that again," I growl. "You are my wife. That makes you worth everything."
She stares at me in shock, and I realize I mean every word. Somewhere along the way, Vittoria stopped being just a political arrangement. She became something more.
Something worth protecting.
"Rest now," I say, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I have some business to take care of."
As I stand to leave, Vittoria's good hand catches mine. "Cesare," she says, voice barely a whisper. "Be careful. My father... he's dangerous when cornered."
I squeeze her hand gently. "So am I,caramia. So am I."
The drive back to the house gives me time to plan. Domenico Costa thinks he can continue terrorizing his daughter even after she's become a Mariano?
He's about to learn how wrong he is.
I pull out my phone and dial Lorenzo. "Status report," I demand when he answers.
"We've located Domenico. He's at his rental property, apparently preparing to leave town tomorrow."
"Good. Gather the men. We're paying him a visit tonight."
"Father," Lorenzo's voice carries a note of caution. "If we move against him directly, it could fracture the alliance?—”
"The alliance is already fucked," I cut him off. "The moment he put his hands on my wife, he made it personal."
There's silence on the other end before Lorenzo speaks again. "Understood. How do you want to handle this?"
"Carefully," I reply. "We can't just kill him outright, not yet. But he needs to understand that there are consequences for his actions."
"And if he refuses to back down?"
